Match-making machine.



PATENTED DEG. 6, 1904.

J. C. DONNELLY.

MATCH MAKING MACHINE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED APR. 25, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l` N0 MODEL.

TTU/INE?.

Wl TNESSES PA'IEN'IED` DBC. 6, 1904.

J. C. DONNBLLY.

MATCH MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 24 N() MODEL.

. WMI

6% @if J/M TTHNEY.

w/rNEssss FAT-BNTED DEG. 6, 1904.

. J. C. DONNELLY. MATCH MAKING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED APB.. 25, 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET aA N0 MODEL.

INVENTH No. l776,648. Patented December 6, 1904.

NITE s STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JOSEPH O. DONNELIJY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PFNNSYLV ANIA, ASSIGNOR TO DIAMONDMATCH COMPANY, OF N'EIV YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- TION OF ILLINOIS.

MATCH-MAKING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No 776,648, dated December6,1904.

Original application iiled April 7, 1900, Serial No. 11,919. Divided andthis application iiled April 25, 1903. SerialNo. 154,234. (No model.)

T 607/3 V171/0'1"' f 'ffl/[ffl] (10U/@WWI said gearing. Fig. 11 is atransverse section Be it known that I, JOSEPH' O. DQNNELLY, as on theline 11 11 of Fig. 10. .a citizen of the United States, and a resident Arepresents a mechanism for cutting' the 50 of the city and county ofPhiladelphia and splints from a block and thrusting them row State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain by row into a carrier B. Thiscarrier is new and useful ln'iprovements in Match-Makpreferably, thoughnot essentially, an endless ingh/Iachines, of which thefollowingisaspecicarrier made up of perforated plates linked iication. together anddirected and guided throughout 5 5f This application is a division of anap'plieaits course by suitably-arranged wheels, such to tion for patent,Serial No. 11,91), filed by me as indicated at B.

April 7, 1900, for `certain improvements in Referring to the splintcutting and insertmatch-making machines. ing mechanism, 1 is asupporting-frame, 2

The subject of the present application rethe driving-shaft, and 3 thehopper, by way 60 lates generally to the splint cutting and inof whichthe wood is fed to the cutters. The serting mechanism and to the carrierand carhopper comprises a box or casing set at a suit rier-actuatingmechanism of such machines, able angle in respect to the cutters andopen and has for its object to provide a simple, efon its under face ina plane parallel with the icient, and durable construction andorganipath of the cutters. The hopper is provided 645 Zation of partswhereby splints shall be rapwith a milled feedroller 4, that takesagainst zo idly and expeditiously cut and inserted row the opposingsurface of the wood, the shaft by row in the carrier and whereby suchcarof such roller being provided with a bevelrier shall be positivelyimpelled in respect to wheel 5, which gears with a corresponding thecutting and inserting mechanism in amanwheel 6 on a stud-shaft 7,whereby when the 70 ner to receive the splints in succeeding rows,latter is actuated the feed-roller is rotated in as will be hereinafterdescribed in detail, the a manner to feed the stock toward the cutnovelfeatures being delined in the claims. ters. In the present instance thestud-shaft In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of is provided witha ratchet wheel 8, with a portion of a match-machine embodying my whichcoacts a pawl 9 on a rock-frame 10 on 75 invention. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section as the shaft 7. This frame is connected, by on theline 2 2 of Fig. 1, the splint cutting means of a link 11, with onearmof a rockand inserting mechanism appearing' in plan. lever 12 on astud-shaft 13, the outer arm of Fig. 3 is an end elevation of thatportion of the lever being in turn connected by a link Fig. 1 below theline 2 2. Fig. 4 is a detail la with the shorter arm of a secondrock-le- SO of the hopper and the feed-roller therein. ver 15 onastrid-shaft 1G.- The longer arm of 3 5 Figs. 5 and 6 are verticalsections, enlarged, the latter lever is connected, by means of a throughthe hopper, the cutter-head, andthe pitman 17, with an eccentric 18 onthe main adjacent part of the carrier, showing the opshaft 2, to the endthat when said shaft is eration of the splint guiding and supportingdriven the pawl 9 is reciprocated in a manner S5 device in the forwardand retracted positions, to rotate intermittently the ratchet-wheel 8 40respectively, of thesaid head. Fig. 7 is a doand its connections. Thelevers 12 and 15 in tail of the studded bar for freeing the splintstheir oscillations are adapted to effect the acfrom the cutters. Fig. 8is a vertical section tuation of certain devices which coact with as onthe line 8 8 of Fig. Fig. 9 is a dcthe carrier B to impart anintermittent move- 90 tail, enlarged, of the pawl-and-ratchet mechmentthereto, as will be hereinafter described. anism for actuating thegearing for impelling 20'is a cross-head reciprocable toward and thecarrier. Fig. 10 is a Vertical section from the carrier B in ahorizontal path dithrough a part of thelcarrier, showing the rectlybelow the mouth of the feed-hopper.

This head is fitted to and guided in suitable ways in thesupporting-frame and is actuated from the main shaft 2 through aneccentric 21 and pitman 22. On the forward end of this head is acutter-bar, which in this instance comprises two sections 23 24, boltedtogether and to the reciprocative head by bolts 25. Between thesesections the shanks of a row of cutters 26 are fitted, each cutter beingadjustably held in place by means of a vertical screw-rod 27, which isfitted thereto and extended through the section 24, as shown. Bymanipulating this rod the cutter may be nicely adjusted vertically andretained in its position of adjustment. Section 24 is provided with ahorizontal extension 24, the upper face of which lies slightly below theheads of the cutters and is provided with a series of parallel groovesor pockets 24h in line with the cutters, as seen. These cutters are soarranged in respect to the hopper that during the backward stroke of thehead they will pass through the lower projecting' portion of theA blockand sever a row of match-splints therefrom. On the lower outer edge ofthe hopper is secured,by screws 28 or other means, a bar 29, on theinner edge of which is formed a series of inwardly-projecting studs 29,that are equal in number to the cutters and are directly in the paththereof, to the end that the cutters as they complete such backwardstroke will surround the respective studs, and the latter, actingagainst the opposing ends of the rows of splints, will perforce permitthe cutters to clear the same. The rows of splints thus severed andreleased will drop by gravity into the grooves or pockets in theunderlying extension 241 of the cutter-bar and adjacent to the shanks ofthe respective cutters, so that in the forward or reverse stroke of thecutter-head the row of splints thus supported will be thrust into acorresponding row of holes or receivers in the carrier by the impact ofsuch shanks against the opposing ends of the cut splints. As a simpleand eiiicient means whereby the splints are guided and supported againstvertical displacement as they are thus being thrust into the carrier Iprovide a guide device, which is movable in respect to the groovedsurface of the reciprocating member. This device in its preferred formcomprises a transverse bar 30, carried by depending side bars 3l, whichare pvoted at their upper ends, as at 32, to the main frame. The deviceis maintained normally in the inclined position indicated in Fig. 6 bythe action of suitable springs, as 33, each of which, encircling thepivots of the device, bears at its respective ends against studs 34 34on the adjacent side bars and main frame, respectively. The bar 30 is solocated that if during the forward movement of the cutter-head the barbe swung toward the vertical in opposition to the spring said bar willlie upon or adjacent the row of splints on the extension 24, and thusserve in conjunction with the latter to guide and' steady the cutsplints as they are driven into the carrier. Studs 35, with or withoutantifriction-rollers, are arranged on the ends of the extension, so asto take against the depending ends 36 of the side bars during theforward stroke of the guide device. In the backward stroke of thecutter-head these studs are retracted from the guide device, and thelatter in consequence resumes its normal position in readiness for asucceeding action. In this backward stroke the cutters sever a fresh rowof splints from the block and the above-described operation is repeated,the splint-carrier being impelled step by step in time with thereciprocation of the cutter-head, so as to present a new row of holes(or receivers) to each succeeding row of splints as rapidly as it isproduced.

As to the carrier herein illustrated it comprises a series of perforatedplates flexibly connected at their adjoining ends by laterallydisposedlinks 37 whereby the plates may be independently moved toward and fromeach other within limits. The perforations in the respective plates areformed in equidistant parallel rows, the end rows thereof being soarranged in respect to the extremities of the plates that when twoadjoining plates are brought end to end, or substantially so, thedistance between the adjacent end rows of the respective plates is equalto that between adjacent rows in the body of the plate, and inconsequence uniform interspaces between the rows of perforations in theadjoining plates are secured. The plates are thus moved togetherpreliminary to their passage in front of the splint-inserting mechanism,so that the end rows of perforations in said plates will be broughtsuccessively into line with the uniformly -reciprocating splintinsertingmechanism similarly to the succeeding rows in the body of the plate. Onthe inner side of each of the plates near one of its lateral edges is alongitudinal rack-section 38, the end teeth whereof are so disposed thatwhen two adjoining plates are brought together, as above stated, thecontinuity of the rack is preserved. Coacting with the rack isappropriate gearing by means of which the carrier is impelled and theplates thereof ,moved into and out of contact with and from each otherat predetermined intervals. 'Ihe gearing herein illustrated for thispurpose is of the following construction: Afhxed to the stud-shafts 1316 are ratchet-wheels 39 and 40, respectively, with the teeth 0f whichengage pawls 4l and 42 on the adjacent rock-levers l2 15, respectively,whereby during the operation of the latter the pawls intermittentlyrotate the respective ratchet-wheels and, perforce, the two studshafts.On these shafts are gears 43 44, respectivel y, which mesh with theadjacent rackteeth, and thereby advance the latter and the adjoiningplates step by step. Below the shaft IOO IIO

16 isa parallel shaft 45, carrying a gear-wheel 46, which also engagesthe teeth of the adjacent rack. The wheels 44 and 46 are geared togetherby an interposed idler 47, and thereby concertedly driven atacorresponding' rate of speed, the space between such wheels 44 and 46being sufiicient to span that between two adjoining plates, and thusinsure the engagement of the rack of the lower plate by the wheel 46before the disengagement of the rack of the upper plate from thecompanion wheel 44. The wheel 43 is driven at the same rate of speed asthe two lower wheels just referred to, butis of smaller diameter, andhence the racks when engaged by such wheel 43 are moved at a slowerspeed than when they are engaged by the two lower wheels 44 46. Thewheel 43 is so disposed in respect to the others that it engages eachrack just as the lower end of the latter escapes the wheel 44, andtherefore as the speed of such rack is reduced the lower adjoining rackis moved into contact therewith for the purpose intended. The shafts 1645 have their bearing's .in a block 48, which may be adjusted as desiredin respect to the carrier by means of set-screws 49, fitted in the wallsof the housings 50, in which the blocks are mounted.

One (or more) of the wheels B' adjacent to the sticking` mechanism isprovided with suitably-spaced studs or teeth 51, which eng'age thespaces between adjoining plates of the carrier. This wheel is positivelydriven at a proper rate of speed to effect the separation or spacing' ofthe plates when they are disengaged from the retarding-gear 43, to theend that such plates may be flexed as they round the wheels. To this endthe shaft of said wheel is provided with a worm-wheel 52, with whichcoacts a worm 53 on the upper end of a vertical shaft 54, the lower endof the latter shaft being provided with a bevel-wheel 55, which gearswith and is driven by a similar wheel 56 on a horizontal driving-shaft57. This shaft 57 is actuated from the main driving-shaft through themedium of a vertical shaft 58, carrying' at its respective endsbevelwheels 59, which gear with corresponding wheels 60 on the ends ofthe shafts 2 57, respectively.

While l have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of myimprovements, it is to be understood that fl. do not confine myselfstrictly thereto, as obviously the mechanisms may be modified withoutdeparting from the fair spirit of the invention.

I claiml. The combination of a splint-carrier, a -head reciprocativehorizontally toward and from the carrier bearing a row ofsplint-cutters, means whereby stock is supplied to said cutters, andmeans whereby the splints are freed from said cutters at the end of thecutting" stroke, the said head being provided with a splint-supportingsurface below thehorizontal plane of the splints thus freed, wherebysuch splints drop in parallelism upon said head in position to beinserted thereby in the carrier.

2. The combination of a splint-carrier, a head recijiu'ocativehorizontally toward and from the carrier carrying a row ofsplint-cutters, means whereby stock is supplied to said. cutters, andmeans whereby the splints are freed from said cutters at the end of thecutting' stroke, the said head being provided with a splin t-supportingsurface below the horizontal plane of the splints thus freed, wherebysuch splints drop in parallelism upon said head in position to beinserted thereby in the carrier, together with a movable guide devicefor the upper portions of the splints as they are being directed to thecarrier.

3. The combination of a splint-carrier, a head reciprocativehorizontally toward and from the carrier, a row of splint-cutters onsaid head having depending shanks, means for feeding stock to saidcutters, means whereby the splints are freed from said cutters at theend of the cutting stroke, the said head being provided with asplint-supporting surface below the horizontal plane of the splints thusfreed, whereby such splints drop in parallelism upon said head withtheir rearward ends adjacent the Shanks of the cutters, and whereby suchshanks serve as abutments for the opposing ends of the splints.

4. The combination of a splint-carrier, a head reciprocativehorizontally toward and from the carrier, a row of splint-cutters onsaid head having depending shanks, means for feeding stock to saidcutters, means whereby the splints are freed from said cutters at theend of the cutting stroke, the said head being provided with asplint-supporting surface below the horizontal plane of the splints thusfreed, whereby such splints drop in parallelism upon said head withtheir rearward ends adjacent the shanks of the cutters, and whereby suchshanks serve as abutments for the opposing ends of the splints, togetherwith the movable guide device for the upper sides of the splints on saidhead.

5. The combination with a splint-carrier, of a splint-feeding headreciprocative toward and from the carrier, an oscillatory guide devicefor the splints on said device, and means whereby said head is caused toswing in respect to said. head during the reciprocation of the latter.

6. The combination with asplint-carrier, of a splint-feeding' headreciprocative toward and from the same, an oscillatory guide device forthe splints movable toward and from the splint-bearing surface of saidhead, a spriliig to maintain said device normally retracted from suchsurface, and means whereby said device is moved in opposition to thespring' during the stroke of the head toward the carrier.

7. The combination of a splint-carrier, a head reciprocative toward andfrom the car- IOO IIC)

rier for inserting splintsin the latter, asplintguide device movable atone time toward the carrier and the splint-bearing surface of the head,and at another time away from said carrier and surface, and meanswhereby said device is actuated during the rcciprocation of the head.

8. The combination with a splint-carrier, means for cutting and freeingsplints, a reciprocating support upon which the freed splints are seatedin parallelism with each other and at right angles to the carrier, anoscillatory guide device for the splints, and means whereby said deviceis caused to swing in respect to said support during the reciprocationof the latter.

9. The combination of a splint carrier, means for cutting and freeingsplints, a reciprocating support upon which the freed splints are seatedin parallelism with each other and at right angles to the carrier, anoscillatory guide device for the splints movable toward and from thesplint-bearing surface ot' said support, a spring to maintain said framenormally retracted from such surface, and means whereby said device ismoved in opposition to the spring' during the stroke of the supporttoward the carrier.

10. In a match-making machine, the combination with a carrier embodying'a series of connected members whereof the connections permit relativeindependent longitudinal movements of the members, of means forintermittentlymoving said members at one rate of speed d uringa portionof their traverse, and mea-ns for intermittently moving said members ata slower rate of speed at another portion of their traverse.

11. Ina match-making machine, the combination with a source ofsplint-supply, of a carrier embodyinga series of connected memberswhereof the connections permit relative independent longitudinalmovement of the members, means for intermittently moving said members atone rate of speed, and means for intermittently moving said sections ata slower rate of speed, or substantially so, as they approach the sourceof splint-supply- Signed at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphiaand State of Pennsylvania, this 17th day of April, A. D. 1903.

JOSEPH C. DON N ELLY.

iVitnesses:

HUBERT S. WILLIAMS, ANDREW V. GROUPE.

